Meal plans for seniors can be both simple and flavorful if a little care is used. Many elderly people have issues with chewing, swallowing, dietary restrictions, isolation and financial difficulties. Elderly persons who are caring for themselves may not have changed their eating habits over the years, mistakenly thinking their nutritional needs have not changed.
Sometimes access to care is an issue and an elderly person may not be able to get to the grocery store and if they do get there, reading labels may be difficult.
Creating simple and flavorful meal plans based on the United States Department of Agriculture food pyramid and a doctor's or nutritionist's guidelines, can be simple with a little preparation.
Creating Nutritional Meal Plans
According to the United States Department of Agriculture food pyramid, meal plans for the elderly should contain two cups of dark green veggies per serving and one and a half cups of carrots and orange vegetables per serving, for a frail woman. Alter these amounts to personalize the menu.
When creating the menu, consider what types of foods can be tolerated. After careful consideration, shop for the items in a smart way. Fresh is always best but frozen vegetables are good too, especially when buying in bulk.
In addition to the dark leafy greens, add two and a half cups of dry beans and peas and the same amount for starchy vegetables.
A good example is that senior females who are considered frail should have three cups of milk and a half cup of fruit should be added as well. Fruit juices should not make up the bulk of the fruit servings, according to the standard food pyramid. Fats should not exceed 130 calories per day.
Meal plans for the elderly should include lean meats and poultry and the excess fat on meats should be trimmed. High nitrate meals loaded with preservatives should be avoided. Also, meals for the elderly should be easily chewed and digested. The suggested meal is based on a 1600 calorie per day menu.
None of the menu items should be high in sodium and health restrictions should be observed.
The number of servings each person should have per meal varies as the abilities of the elder population is varied. The servings of grain a frail elderly woman is served will be different from the amount a transitional or frail male is served. Observance of each senor's ability can lead to a satisfying outcome at meal time.
Why Meal Plans are Important
Analysis of food group intake indicated that people considered to be "food insufficient," ate significantly fewer servings of meat and vegetables, and had a significantly lower variety of foods eaten, according to a report from the USDA entitled,"Food Insufficiency and the Nutritional Status of the Elderly Population."
The report is published on the USDA web site and talks about how the elder population is under served at meal time.
Among the elderly, other factors may contribute to food insufficiency, such as decreased mobility, inability to care for oneself and limited help with daily activities. All these factors may contribute to the inability to purchase and prepare food and consequently lead to food insufficiency.
When meal plans are used, these risk factors can be eliminated. Whether the meals are prepared off site by a relative or by the elder person, planning the meal with the food pyramid as a base is the best way to stay healthy.
According to "Food Insufficiency and the Nutritional Status of the Elderly Population," older people are at risk of malnutrition and food insufficient elderly people are an especially vulnerable population.
If all older people are to maintain or acquire a healthy lifestyle, then outreach to the food insufficient elderly must be developed and implemented. Also, gaps in the safety net must be identified and remedied and food assistance and nutrition education efforts improved.
Dialogue and engagement help prepare the elderly for a change in diet. New foods and new processes can sometimes be off-putting. A steady conversation about the new changes can be helpful.
A good idea is to arrange a taste testing of the new menu and have as much input as possible so that the dietary change is not so jarring.
Barriers to Good Nutrition
According to the website Careincontainers.com, social isolation is a prevalent factor in elder malnutrition. The site said 85% of widowers report a weight change the two years after a spouse has died. Complicating the issue may be symptoms of depression which can manifest as overeating or under eating.
Special dietary considerations and physical restraints may make meal planning for certain elder populations more difficult. It may be the cause of a good meal laid to waste if it cannot be chewed and digested easily. Careincontainers.com is a web site provided by a division of the Area Agency on Aging, a government agency that specializes in elder issues.
Good Nutrition Helps Fight Disease
A healthy diet can make the difference between poor health and good health. Diet changes not only influence present health, but future health.
A combination of exercise and good nutrition can help keep seniors healthy and it will delay the onset of preventable disease. Food insufficient older people whose mean age was 72 years of age had significantly lower mean intake of calories and the macronutrients protein, fat and carbohydrate. They also had lower mean intake of some B vitamins (thiamin, niacin, vitamin B 6 folacin, vitamin B12) and the minerals: iron and zinc, according to the USDA report, "Food Insufficiency and the Nutritional Status of the Elderly Population".
These vitamins and minerals are important to the immune system and cognitive function. Therefore, individuals deficient in these vitamins and minerals may be more prone to infections and may be at higher risk of chronic diseases and cognitive dysfunction, according to the report.
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